As the two cats walked away from the Dark Forest, they shook their dirty pelts. "I will see you tomorrow. In the morning, a big day awaits." The starry she mewed. "Well, well, well... what do we have here?" A deep, grumbly voice said smoothly. Dapplepaw and the starry she whipped around, eyes round with fear. "Brokenstar," The she hissed quietly. The tom laughed, unsheathing his claws. "I do believe thats my name, Dapplesong."

Dapplepaw turned to the starry she. "Dapplesong?" She asked in a very surprised tone. "No time to explain," Dapplesong hissed. "Just go! Run off!" Dapplepaw nodded, turning around to scurry off. The tom from earlier- Hawkfrost- leapt infront of her. "Not so fast, little one." He growled, smiling evilly. "I think someone I know might want to see this." Hawkfrost laughed. "Clashswipe, Mapleshade, Hazefeather! Come look at this!"

Oh, no.. I can't let Clashswipe know I've seen him! Dapplepaw thought. "What is it, Hawkfrost?" Mapleshade mewed, stepping out of the bushes with Hazefeather and Clashswipe following. When Clashswipe saw her, he leapt at her, claws unsheathed. He pinned her to the ground. "What are you doing here? Huh?" He hissed, eyes blazing. Dapplesong gasped, and unsheathed her claws, bowling him off of Dapplepaw. "Leave her alone!"

"Thornheart, Fireblossom!" Mapleshade called. The sisters stepped into the clearing, and laughed at the site. "Well lookie here!" Thornheart rasped, laughing. "You, the cat I killed!" Hazefeather looked horrified, but said nothing. "Remember her?" Fireblossom mewed to Hazefeather, smiling evilly at Dapplesong. "Thats the one Thornheart killed!" Hazefeather nodded slowly. Dapplesong looked up at her, eyes blazing. "And you did nothing to help me! Why did StarClan choose you as one of the eight? You're a disgrace; evil!"

Hazefeather sighed. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Dapplesong whipped around, but it was too late- Hawkfrost had her pinned, and on the side, Thornheart towered above her. "What should we do with them, Brokenstar?" Fireblossom asked. After Tigerstar died, Brokenstar took over, with Hawkfrost as his second-in-command. "Hmm," Brokenstar thought. He smirked after a moment of thinking. "Take them as prisoner." Thornheart sighed. "Really? Why not we kill the small one?" Brokenstar hissed at her. "I make the rules! Plus, she could be of... maybe, some sort of use to us."

Dapplepaw was pinned down by Clashswipe again, and was struggling under his grasp. "No! I-I'll never work for you! I'm good!" Brokenstar chuckled. "I never said that, small one. What I mean is, we can keep you two as prisoners, and get information out of you. And, well... if that doesn't work, I'll kill you both." Dapplepaw's and Dapplesong's eyes widened fearfully. "Come, now. Clashswipe, bring the small one. Thornheart, Hawkfrost, Hazefeather, you three get Dapplesong. She's frisky and will try to escape." Brokenstar mewed, leading his warriors back into the Dark Forest 'camp'.

As they walked in, they saw several cats staring at them. "New recruits?" A black tom called. "No, Breezepelt. Prisoners." Breezepelt laughed. "Good luck, prisoners. Brokenstar doesn't take it lightly on cats like you!" Many cats that Dapplepaw recognized where here- Minnowtail and Hollowpaw stuck out to her the most. "Don't say anything to them." Dapplesong said. "They don't know what they're doing. They're just here because they think this is extra training to make them better warriors."

Dapplepaw nodded, but was sad to see her two friends here. Brokenstar led them behind his large rock-den, where prisoners where kept. "You two are the only prisoners right now, since the rest where killed." Hawkfrost informs them. They where put into cages that the cats got from the twolegs. "Guard them tonight, because right now all of us are needed for the training." Brokenstar says, leading the patrol away.

"I'm sorry, Dapplepaw. I'm sorry for bringing you here." Dapplesong says sadly. "Now you won't be able to wake up until they let us free. We're stuck here until... until they kill us, or let us out for some strange reason." Dapplepaw covered her head with her paws. She was sickened by this. "No, no, no... this can't be happening!" She whimpered, closing her eyes tightly, as if it would magically bring her back to her nest in RiverClan. Dapplesong curled up in the corner, feeling ashamed of herself. "Dapplepaw? Can I tell you something?" Dapplepaw looked up, and nodded slowly.

"The reason I never told you it was me was because I thought you would find out about everything, and try to talk to me about it. Like the prophecy..." Dapplesong trailed off. Dapplepaw's ears perked, and her eyes where round with anxiousness. "Prophecy?" She asked quietly. Dapplesong smiled weakly, and nodded. "There is a prophecy: 'There will be eight, who come with flight, and protect the four.' I was originally in it, before I died. I think I might somehow still be apart of it, but I'd never know. I think you're apart of it now. If we weren't trapped, you would've gotten to meet the other seven."

Dapplepaw was so happy, but scared at the same time. She brushed pelts with Dapplesong. "Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" She asked, softly. Dapplesong looked straight ahead, but nodded slowly. "Maybe. Leopardstar, or Spottedpelt or someone will rescue us... maybe." Dapplepaw nodded slowly.

. . .

Hazefeather looked around, trying to spot Hawkfrost. "Hey, Hawkfrost!" She called to him. She had secretly been in love with him, but told no one. "What, Hazefeather?" He smiled, sweetly. "Can I go and guard the prisoners? I feel like its unsafe to leave them alone like that." Hawkfrost nodded, licking her cheek. "Sure. You just get smarter everyday." He said, walking away.

She smiled to him, and walked over to the rock-den. Behind it, she saw the prisoners sleeping. I need to tell them... but is now the time? Hazefeather thought, padding closer to the cages. No, I'll tell them tomorrow. She thinks, setting herself down infront of the cages.

If only they knew.. If only.

~Dove